Mewkledreamy

Save the world with talking plush cats? Sounds like a dream to me. In "Mewkledreamy Land" however, this is the everyday life for our heroine Yume-chan. Thanks to her, citizens manage to get rid of all their bad and negative thoughts. Let's take a closer look at this Mahou Shoujo anime.

Before we start with the actual anime, it is interesting to know a little about the director of this project Hiroaki Sakurai. Anyone who briefly clicked on his name and took a look at his works will surely have discovered a pattern. Many there come from the “Fantasy Mahou Shoujo“ genre. One or the other ... might have seen the anime "Machikado Mazoku" (The Demon Girl Next Door). Therefore, It can be assumed that “Mewkledreamy” also include all these typical elements.

It all starts on a normal day. Our protagonist Yume-chan wanted to go to school as normal, but a cute little cat plush toy fell from the sky out of nowhere. As if that's not already a miracle, it turns out that this little kitten can even speak human language and is called Mew. She explains to Yume that she is the chosen one to free humanity from all evil and negative thoughts. Thanks to a magical transformation, Yume is able to travel into the dream world of people. She has to fight against the nightmare of the concerned person there, from giant robots to "pumpkin man", all imaginable evil opponents are present. After a successful fight there is a "Dreamystone", which she has to collect and thus save the world.

Of course, every superhero needs loyal helpers to help him fighting against the evil. Marmaid Man, for example, has Barnacle Boy as a partner. Without him it would not be possible to win against Dirty Bubble or Man Ray. Our heroine Yume-chan has three closest friends: Maira, Tokiwa and Kotoko, whom she can always rely on. They are gradually getting their own kittens as well to support her. Of course, we cannot forget her childhood friend Asahi, he would really do anything for her. A true gentleman who is still hoping for Yume-chan's reaction when it comes to love.
After looking at the "good side", let's briefly look at the other side. The biggest opponent there is a little black cat named Yuni-sama. He has a magic wand that makes people's dark thoughts come true. The heartthrob and also Yume’s crush Sugiyama-senpai develop from a very nice boy to a dangerous opponent. He's a real boss who shouldn't be underestimated.

It can be said that the animations certainly make this to show what it is. Anyone who has already watched other Mahou Shuojo anime knows this world full of bright colors. This can be seen here as well. It's designed very nicely, the setting and the characters. Everything looks very matching in terms of color. The dark side is also revealed in the battles. It is a show that enchants you with color.
"Mewkledreamy" has 48 episodes and unfortunately only one OP and ED. Although these are very nice to listen to and it is a pleasure to enjoy the song, it would certainly have been better to have had some variety. The sounds in the anime, on the other hand, are very well designed. Even the small details such as a little transformation comes to light.

The first episode of the anime aired in April 2020 and almost exactly one year later after 48 episodes it was completed. It was a long drive, but I definitely enjoyed it. There are so many stories and backgrounds that even writing a paper would not be enough. In the end I only focused on the essentials. In addition to the mentioned characters, there are numerous supporting characters who stand out in their own way. While I have to admit that 48 episodes is a big project and the story can probably be told in 12 episodes, I enjoyed every single one of them. Relax yourself and simply enjoy. But It really is an anime where everyone has to decide for themselves if this sort of anime is a watch. Nevertheless, it can be said that even adults will also find their fun here. I would even say this is not a typical “kid anime”, so don’t get fooled by the tag. It's a quite shame that this anime has gotten into the background and hardly anyone knows about it.

With these words, see you all in the sequel of their adventure "Mewkledreamy Mix"!

Mewkledreamy is a cute and wholesome show, filled with upbeat shenanigans. Mixing slice of life with magical girl adventure, I felt it was better at the former than the later. The magical girl stuff feeling a bit repetitive and mainly there to sell Sanrio merch, where as the SoL stuff was way more enjoyable.

Characters are all fun, with lively voice work and distinctive designs. Villains are endearing in a classic Team Rocket way and part of me wanted to see them succeed. The bright art with surprisingly strong animation is great to watch, while the backgrounds are filled with little gags and details.

The show ... is very episodic though and the overarching plot is pretty basic. But if just a nice and relaxed anime to chill too, you'll enjoy this. I kind of wish they had taken some plot elements further as character development is pretty minor, but this is aimed at children, so this was never going to go serious.

After the success of Jewelpet in the mid 2000s to the 2010s, it looks like Saniro has another trick up its sleeve for another mahou shoujo spectacle. Sanrio's newest project, Mewkledreamy, is a wonderful phantasm filled to the brim with cute characters with an incredible sense of adventure that will leave no mahou shoujo fan unsatisfied.

Unfortunately, not many people are watching Mewkledreamy, leaving this show to its fate of obscurity. Not only is it because no legal streaming services are broadcasting this show to the general public, but also that magical girls are too niched for the common anime fan to enjoy. Perhaps it's ... telling of the current state of the contemporary mahou shoujo genre. From the veteran franchise PreCure to lesser known titles like Pri☆chan, these shows remain underwatched and underrated in the flood of seasonal anime. It's easy to dismiss Mewkledreamy for being a typical mahou shoujo show, but it's exuberance in style and aesthetics makes it a unique experience for nonfans of the genre and does a lot more than what people let on.

Additionally, the show is being directed by a fairly well known director, Hiroaki Sakurai. Hiroaki Sakurai has a knack for cute girls shows, doesn't he? From last year's sleeper hit, Machikado Mazoku to his 2000s otaku classic, Di Gi Charat, Sakurai seems to know how to make a show pop out in both presentation and structure. Mewkledreamy is no exception. With J.C. Staff as the production studio and Sanrio manning the character design, this anime will definitely be a fan favourite among the mahou shoujo community.

So what even is Mewkledreamy?

Mewkledreamy follows Yume Hinata, a cute and bubbly middleschooler who stumbles upon Mew, a stuffed kitten who can enter people's dreams. They soon meet the Queen of the Miracle Dreamy Kingdom, who tells them that collecting "Dreamy Stones" from people's dreams can grant them one wish (think of it like the seven Dragon Balls). Along the way, Yume meets various lively and vivacious classmates, from the aspiring comedian Maira Tsukishima (whose puns and exaggerated reactions are adorable to watch) to Asahi Minamikawa, the boy next door who has a heart throbbing infatuation with the beloved Yume.

However, in most mahou shojo fashion, there are villains who sought to disrupt the hero's journey and the dream world. In this case, the villain is a black stuffed kitten and his two cohorts who I swear to god are the cutest trio of villains I've ever encountered in anime. Despite having villains, the show never becomes a full-on battle mahou shojo like PreCure, and the fact that only Yume can enter dreams (and thus the only one capable of battle) is a neat idea that deviates from the formulaic structure in most shows of the genre.

Mewkledreamy is a very chill and relaxing show to watch. There are no urgent matters at hand, and most of the episodes are slice-of-life rather than magical battles. The show is more concerned with the girls' day to day life at school than any looming danger from their newfound powers, managing to showcase the grandiose personalities of Yume, Maira, Kotoko and all of their pet partners in a fun and natural manner. The dialog and character interaction are comedic, witty, and wholesome to the point where you cannot fall in love with the cast. Mewkledreamy pops off in its' bright and creative aesthetics. The show's flashy animation and art design is immaculate; whether that be in the characters' expressive reactions or the flashy transformation scenes, the show never falters in its animation or artistic vision.

It's truly a shame, that a show of this calibre had gone unnoticed from the average anime watcher. If you like mahou shoujo shows or just like cute girls doing cute things, you can't go wrong with Mewkledreamy. Fun things are fun.